Word of the Week: Will and Would

How to Use Will and Would

These two verbs are part of a group called modals. Modal verbs "have meanings related to ideas such as possibility, likelihood, prediction, necessity, permission and obligation" (Hewings 204). The most frequent use of will is to indicate "an intention or an instruction" (Allen 24), as in "I will go to the party tonight". In polite discourse, the word shall is often substituted in questions. For example "Shall I pick you up at ten?" rather than "Will I pick you up at ten?"

Would is the past tense of will: "He said he would be away for a few days." It also has a variety of other meanings according to the Oxford Dictionary: (2) to indicate a consequence (real or imagined) - "He would lose his job if the General Motors goes bankrupt." (3) to give advice - "I wouldn't drink that if I were you." (4) To express a polite request -"I would like that book when you are finished with it." (5) To express a conjecture, opinion or hope - "Would you pass the salad?" (6) To express a desire or inclination - "I would love to visit Canada." (See Oxford Dictionary of English).

Will, Would and Used to

Hewing's "Advanced Grammar in Use" offers the following suggestions:

1. Will (present tense) and would (past tense) are used to discuss "characteristic behaviour or habits" or "things that are always true."
Examples - In the fall, the leaves will fall off the trees. (always true)
Every day, he would go to the post office. (characteristic behaviour)

2. You can use will to "draw conclusions or state assumptions about things that are the case now".
Example - You will find the Red-Winged Blackbird in marshy areas.

3. To discuss repeated event that are not the case now, you can use either would or used to plus an infinitive verb. You can only use would if the time reference is clear.
Example - He used to drive to Minnesota in June. He would drive to Minnesota in June. (Note: clear time reference, in June). If the time reference is unclear, you should not use would or used to.
Example - She went to Jamaica five times. (Note: When she went is to Jamaica is unclear.)

4. To talk about an unreal past situation - that is, one that is imaginary or that did not happen:
Example - I would have visited her but my visa expired.
However, Advanced Grammar also notes "when we want to think about a past situation that actually happened, we prefer to use will have + past participle."
Example - As you will have noticed, the house was in pristine condition.
(Hewings, p. 32).

References:
Allen, Robert. How to Write Better English. London: Penguin Books, 2005.
Hacker, Diana. A Canadian Writer's Reference (2nd ed). Toronto: Nelson, 2001.
Hewings, Martin. Advanced Grammar in Use (2nd ed). Cambridge: Cambridge U Press, 2005.
Oxford Dictionary of English (2nd ed. rev). Oxford: Oxford U Press, 2005.